Aeroplane.



J. STASIAK.

AEROPLANB.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 3, 1913.

Patented Sept. 1,1914.v

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J. STASIAK.

ABROPLANB. APPLIOTION FILED DBC. 3, 1913.

Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

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AEEGPLANE.

Specz'eation of Letters Patent.

atented Sept. i, 1914;.

Appcation le December 3, N13. Serial No. O.

Be it lino/Wn that JOHN STAsrAn, Zen of the United States, the city of Seattle, county of King-'State 0f a Cit-l1 Virashingltonhave invented certain nevi7 andv useful improvements in Aeroplanes, of which the foiloirinfr is a speciication.

This invention relates to aeroplane's, and more especialiy to destructive aeroplanes designed fo. use in War, and has for its principal object to provide a device of this char acter which vis automatically controlled in that it includes mechanism which can be set when the `device is started on its journey, the setting ci which predetermines the length of the iourney, and that means is included to automatica-ily reverse the movement of the device and other means is vprovided -ivhich automatically shuts o' the power when the device is returned toits starting peint. Automaticbomb-dropping ni'eans is aise provided which is brought into operation the instant the device reaches the limit of its forward-travel. This .and other objects' are accoinplishedby novel and pcculiar arrangements' and combinations of the parts, as 'will be more fully hereinafter described and enpiai .ed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a pian view of my device with its piane and other parts broken away. Fig.' 2 is a similar view inside elevation. Fig. 3 is an'eniarged detail view taken at the line :zzon Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, reerence numeral 1 designates the body of the device, which is pointed at both ofits ends, as shown, and extending fore and ait oi` which is a propeller shaft 2 which revolubly passes through suitable bearings in each end of said body. Aliixed to either end of the said sha-it is a propeller 3, and 'formed from the said shaft are the crank arins 4 Which may be connected to the pistons of indicated at 5, When upon the ground the device is supported upon the wheels 6 Whose axles revolveV within'bearings I which are secured to the under side of the device. A- iXed to the propeller shaft is a initer gear 8 with which meshes a similari gear 9 a'xed to the shaft 10, one end of which revolves within a suitable bearing in one side o---the device and it'sopposite end revolves Within the bearing 11 which bottoni of the device. At

the opposite end and `a resident otany approved form of engine,

, the device.

is secured at 12 tothev of the body 1 is a spur gear wheel 13 which is .f fixed to. the shaft 111 which extends athivart the said body-1 and revolves Withinpsuitable bearings' inthe sides thereof. Beneath the said shaftiis a similarly mounted shaft to which is iiXed a gear Wheel 16 which meshes with the Wheel 13. Upon the shait is a stud'17 through which passes a p lntle 1S upon which is pivoted a shaft 19 which is secured to one endv of a belt 20. Beneath one end of the shaft 19 is a spring 21 which tends to keep the left-hand end of the said shaft, as vievved in' Fig. 3, pressed firmly against the shaft 15. The shaft 19 has,ftherefore, a movement with respect to the shaft aud I provide a loop 22 which is aiiixed to the shaft 15 and "which limits this movement. rEhe belt passes downwardly and around a roiler 23, which is .mounted uponl one end of the frame 23a. thence upwardly and around a similar roller 2s which is secured tc the shaft 10, and-iinally back to the shaft 111 to Which it is secured. The frame 23a is somewhat in the form oi a ladder with kmost of its rungs removed, one of its ends beingy pivoted upon the axle 25 or one of the Wheels 6 and its opposite end is'supportedby the belt 20. The said 'raine has suiicient Weight to always keep the said belt taut and Which, of course, produces friction between the belt and the rollers 23 and 24E. Adjustably secured to the belt 2O is a hook` 26.

Mounted at each side of the body l is an upright 27, extending from one to the other of which is a cross-piece 28. ilevclubly nounted Within suitable bearings in the upper ends of said uprights is a sha-:ft 29 whose ends also pass through the stringere 30 and are firmly secured to the said stringers. The ends of the said stringers are joined together by means of the cross-pieces 32 Which 'forms the frame of the plane, upon which is stretched the canvas 33. Extending down ivardly from the said stringers are pairs of braces 3a to each of which is attached a guy wire B5, each of Whose ends is secured to the Corners of the frame indicated at 36 and 36a respectively. Similar Wires 37 arev also stretched between the lower ends of the said braces and the uprights 27 at each side of Cross pieces 38 may extend at suitable intervals between the stringers 30.

Secured to the shaft 29 is an arm 39 from v'whose lower end project the fingers 40 which are adaptedto Wipe back and forth in the sin slot 41 in the side of the body 1.. Between the said lingers projects a lever 42 secured to a shaft 43 which is revolubly mounted in suitable bearings in thesides ofthe body 1, and secured to the said shaft is a shorter arm 44 to whlch'is secured one end of a connecting rod 45, the Iother end of same being Se* cured to the lever 46 .by means of which ythe engine is reversed. The lever 47, whiclicuts cli' the power from-the engine, is' similarly secured to a connecting rod 4S7which extends to and is' connectedtoran arm 49'which is rigid with a shaft 50, 'the ends of which are revolubly'mounted within suitable bearings in the sides` of the device. Projecting upwardly from the shaft 50 isa longer arm 51- withvwhich the hook 26 is adapted to cooperate, as will be presently explained..

Pivoted at l52 upon the arm 39 is a rod 53 which is bent atl a right'angle as at 54 so as to hook over the lever `55, the free end of which wipes against the arno. 39, thelever being cut away 1n .arc shapev as lndlcated at.

56 V(see Fig. 2) which represents approximately the path of the free end of the arm 55 with respect to the arm '39. The arm 55 is secured to a shaft 57-whose ends revolve 4within suitablebearings at either side of the body 1, and secured to the same shaft; is a semi-circular--- block 58 which is notched at each of its sides, as shown, and in one of the notches is supported a lwire 59 to whose lower end is attached .a bomb 60, the said wire passing through an opening 61 in the bottom of the device.

vA shaft 62 passesathwart the device and is revoluble within suitable bearings in the sides thereof, and fixed to it is a trigger 63 the upper end of which has the projection 64 which' is adapted. to engage onerof theV notches in the block l58, as is plainly shown in Figs-Landi I Extending'from one of the uprigixts27 to the other isa cross-piece 65 upon which may be secured a metallic bracket 66, which is slotted as at 67, vand throughwhichslot'- passes a pin 68 whichv also passesthrough pins at 74 whichenter the uprights 71. The

purpose of the pin 68 is that when the timbers 69 are moved about their respective pivots 7 O the pins 68may be thrust through one of the series of openings indicated'at 68a in the cross-piece 65, and thus holdsa-id timbers in their various adjusted positions.

The operation of the device is as follows: A suitable explosive is suspended from thc block 5.8, theV trigger 63 set, the belt 20 wound upon the shaft 15 to an extent which corresponds with the length of the intended forward travel of the device, the plane tilted about as seen in the drawings (in case the device isto move toward the right as seen in Fig. 2.), the rudders 72 turned to allow for contrary air currents, etc., the arms 39 and 55 and their associated parts positioned as seen in Fig. 2, and the hook 26 set along the belt 20 to a point which will cause it to contact with the free endof the lever 51 when the device shall have completed itsround trip. Power is now turned on which causes the device-'to fly in the direction intended, and as the, roller 24 revolves the friction between it and the belt 20 Acauses the latterA to unwind from the shaft 15, and ,since the wheel 13 is in mesh with the Wheel 16 the belt winds upon the shaft 14 as fast as it -unwinds from the shaft 15. When the belt is entirely unwvound from the shaft 15 (see Fig. 2.) the continued pull upon the belt causes one end of the shaft 19 to spring away from the shaft 15 until it contacts with f the lower end of the trigger 63. which causes the latter to move about its pivot 62 and tc release its projection 64 from the notch in the block 58, which allows the'said block to rotate about itspivot and release thewire 51 and bo-mb 60, which immediately drop-s and Y explodes at the desired point. 'Vhen the block 58 moved about its pivot, as just mentioned,its shaft 57 turned with it, of course,

as well as the arm55, the free end of which arm wiped along the arc 56 and forced the arm 39 about its pivot to the left, as seen in Fig. 2, which movement caused the fingers 40 to carry the free end of the lever 42A in the same direction, which, through the connecting rod 45., caused the engine to be reversed and at the same time tilted the plane in a direction opposite to that seen 1n Fig. 2, conse uence of which the device immediately egan. itsret'urn travel Vand continued lto fly until the belt 20 `unwound vsufficiently to bring the hook 26 into contact with the lever 51,` which rocks the latter i about4 its pivot and, through the connectin rod 48, causes the power to be shut off w ich permits the device to descend at the point from which it started. l Y

.While I have shown a particular embodivvment fof my invention, I am aware that many jchanges therein .will suggest themselves to others without -departing from the 'spirit and vscope of the invention, and' I therefore desire to avoid being limited to the exact form shown and described.

What I claim isf 1. The combination withan aeroplane, of explosive means, .and means `,for attaching same to the aeroplane, means for predetermining the length'of Hightof the aeroplane, and means for automaticallydetaching the mining the length of the forward flight of the aeroplane, means for` automatically detaching said explosive means when the limit of forward iight has been reached, and means controlled by the last mentioned means for reversing the travel of the aeroplane.

vLL. The combination with an aeroplane, of a bomb and means for attaching saine to the aeroplane, means for tilting the plane of the aeroplane to reverse its forward flight, means for predetermining the length of the flight, means controlled by the last mentioned means for reversing the flight, means for automatically tilting the' said plane when the limit of forward travel has been reached, means for automatically detaching said bomb at about the same instant, and means for automatically stopping the aeroplane after it has returned to its starting point.

5. The combination with an aeroplane, of

a bomb and means, including a notched block, for attaching same to the aeroplane, a belt which is caused to be actuated by the pro. peller shaft of the aeroplane, and by means of which the forward flight is predetermined, a trigger which controls the said notched block, means which is attached to the said belt for actuating the said trigger, an arm whichfmoves with the said notched block, means controlled by said arm to automatically reverse the flight of the aeroplane, a hoolradjusted upon said belt and means adapted to be actuated by said hook to cause the power to be shut ofi' from the engine of the aeroplane.

6. Thecombination with an aeroplane of bombesupporting mechanism, including a notched block and a coperating trigger, means for predetermining the length of the forward flight of the aeroplane, including a belt operated by the propeller shaft of the aeroplane, means connected to the said belt for 'tripping the said trigger when the limit of forward flight has been reached, means which includes a pair of arms, one of which wipes against the other and which are controlled by the tripping of the said trigger, means for reversing the flight of the aeroplane, a hook upon said belt and means controlled by said-hook for shutting oli" the power at a predetermined time.

JOHN STASlAK.

lVitnesses:

Fran P. GORIN, R. D. SMALLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each,iby addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

